New marine data and age accuracy of the Romualdo Formation, Araripe Basin, Brazil

A combined biostratigraphic and palaeoecological study of foraminifera, ostracodes and microfacies was carried out on the Aptian in the Sítio Sobradinho section of the Araripe Basin, northeast Brazil. The analysed section represents a deepening-upward sequence with mid-ramp shoal and outer ramp to basin facies associations on a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate marine ramp. The analysed rocks are dominated by Early Cretaceous planktic foraminifera (Hedbergella aptiana, H. praelippa, H. sigali, Blesfucuiana cf. cumulus, Microhedbergella miniglobularis, Gorbachikella cf. kugleri, Pseudoguembelitria blakenosensis, Globigerinelloides clavatus, Globigerinelloides aff. aptiensis, Gubkinella sp. and Loeblichella sp.). Ostracoda fauna is composed mainly of Pattersoncypris crepata and Pattersoncypris micropapillosa. The occurrence of P. crepata associated with the Aptian planktic foraminifera demonstrates the potential of this ostracode species to date this interval. The planktic foraminifera from the upper Aptian (Microhedbergella miniglobularis Zone) of the Araripe Basin show characteristical Tethyan affinities.